Dear LOers
After a long project, where answering E-mail was restricted, I am just now
catching up on this thread.
I will add my 2 cents with two objectives: 1) catch up, 2) understand and
clarify.
At in LO20424:
What makes a problem?
A problem, to me, is a view of a situation from the aspect of 'old
thinking'. The times that I run into a problem are those times when I fail
to look at the situation with "new" eyes. Since things, situations,
thinking and perceptions are always changing(?entropy?) a problem arises
from failing to adjust old thinking habits.
What distinguishes the solution from the problem?
Again it is the way in which the problem is perceived and the focus
dedicated to the problem. In todays corporate and personal life, there
are many other things that occupy the reality of day-to-day living. These
tend to clog the mental pores and do not allow for a clear focus on the
problem. The main challenge, I see, is getting ALL parties focused on the
same problem. In the business environment this is being done by focus
groups and committees. The main drawback to this, however, is again
focus. TOO many times the persons involved with the corrective action
group have hidden agendas and can therefore NOT focus on the problem.
What is the heart of the matter?
HMMMMMMMMM !!!!!!!!
The jury is still out on that one.
Jens wrote in LO20425:
[...] ... In order to move forward we need to limit metaphors, or at least
be careful that the metaphors remain as such. ... [...]
This is like a history lesson. Only by a study of history can you learn
from the mistakes of the past and avoid the traps of the future. Allegory
and metaphors are powerful teaching and learning tools. Without detailing
a specific history the lessons can still be learned and the solutions
revealed. Through the use of these instruments new ways of looking at
problems and their solutions can be exposed without bogging down in the
muck and mire of reality. I realize that we have to deal with and live in
a real world.
However, by removing ourselves from the restraints of reality through
allegory and metaphor, solutions become clearer and their application more
imaginative.
I think this is a fairly accurate summation of Winfried's statements in
LO20429.
David in LO20431 quotes Marcus Aurelius:
'Names and titles don't matter, as long as you remember that having a point
of view is the best indication that the only reality you're seeing is your
own.'
Help me out on this one. Does this not approach the definition of narrow
mindedness? I have always tried to espouse the idea that if you can not
argue, with equal fervor, both sides of an ideology than the opinion you
express is NOT your own. It is the opinion of someone else and therefore
a null factor in the argument. I have upset the psyche of numerous people
by playing the devils advocate. I will purposefully take an opposite view
when I hear dogma being preached. If I can find NO redeeming or 'self
actuated thoughts' in the discussion, I switch sides and see if I can
influence some original thought processes. If this fails I change topics.
This may sound belittling and demeaning. It is not meant to be. Usually
these discussions are short term and not meant to be Homeric or Plato
style discourses.
Again I am still catching up with reading my E-mail. This is just my two
cents.
Thank you,
Bruce W. Jones
Organizational Development Specialist
Northwest Texas Healthcare System
Amarillo, Texas
brucej@nwths.com
brucewj@amaonline.com
http://www.scenemaker.com/anon/495/cover.dhtml
--"Bruce Jones" <brucej@nwths.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>